Automatic sprinkler system.



G. McL. DBMAREST. AUTOMATIG SPRINKLER SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 190a.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

M'iwesseg.

r I 1 I athe pipes which produces a GEORGE MGLEAN DEMAREST, O1 BUFFALO, N lfiW YORK AUTbMATIG SPRINKLER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 9, 1909.

Application filed June 8, 1908. Serial No. 436,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grouse M. I)EMAREST, of Bufl'alo, in the county of Erie, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler Systems, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in automatic sprinkler systems adapted to be installed in buildings for protection against fire and refers more particularly to a controlling mechanism for an alarm which is used in connection with the sprinkler system to indicate the opening of one or more of the sprinkler heads by fire or other cause which ma allow water to escape from any portion 0 such system.

' In many Water systems and particularly those in which the pressure of the water is maintained by pumps and to which the sprinkler-systems of buildings are usually connected, the water pressure is always more or less variable thereby causing what is commonly known as water hammer in "renter or less movement or ebb and How 0% the water in the sprinkler system and is frequently of suflicient variation to cause the operation of the alarm while all of the sprinkler heads 'are still intact or closed. This false alarm is, of course, prejudicial and it is always more or less liable to create undue excitement or panic and the essential object of my present invention is to provide means'for preventing the operation of the alarm under such variations of pressure or water hammer and to render such alarm operable only under prolonged outflow of the Water through one or more of the open sprinkler heads of the system. In other words, I have sought to automatically control the o eration of the alarm through the medium 0 differentially sized pistons operated by the water pressure in the sprinkler system to control the passage of Water to the alarm operating motor and at the same time to govern the action of the pistons-through the medium of an adjustable choke valve or retarding medium whereby the action of the pistons and valve connected thereto may be regulated at will to prevent the operation of the alarm under fluctuating pressures or water hammer when the sprinkler heads are intact.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, I have shown a sectional view of a portion of a sprinkler system and my iii'iproved alarm controlling mechanism conmected thcreim the alarm belng shown in clcvatmlli represents the main supply or stand pipe of a sprinkler system having one or more branch pipes -a'- connected thereto and provided with one or more sprinkler hends-b---- of any well known construction adapted to be opened by the fusing of one oi. its a in case of fire. Connected in this ,ly or Land pipe A is a valve casing l having a direct passage -2- and brawl! pas ages ---3-- and ---l--. This valve casino: \',-,.\ll19 a suitable check valve mil}, closing the main passage ich passage ---3-. As shown this branch passage -3 is located be hill the valve -5- while the branch passage ".l"" is located at the oppo: site side of said valve, and to this branch passage is connected a drain passage -t5--- having a valve ---7-- which is normally closed but may be opened to drain the water from the entire sprinkler system above the valve fwhen the portion of the supply pipe below the valve is closed by any suitable valve. not shown.

lhe branch passaq'e 3 is connected by a conduit 8-- to a piston chamber 9 in which is movable a piston --l 0, the latter being connected by a rod --11-- to a somewhat smaller piston --lQ-. Thissmaller piston movable in a piston chamber ].-lhaving a tapering upper end Forming a conical valve seat -l-l-- with which cofiperatts an :uljustaliile conical valve or governor la the latter being mountrd upon an adjusting sever. --16-- in the upper end oi the valve chamber -13. 'lhe upper end of the valve chamber 13- abo e the valve or governor -l5 is connected by a conduit -17--- to the main sup ply or stand pipe -i-\iabove the valve The piston chambers- 9 and -.l 3 are coaxial and ruwununicatc with each other, the portion of the chamber -9-- below the piston --10 communicating through the conduit --8 with the stand pipe --A.- be- .low the valve while the portion of the piston chamber --13--- above the smaller piston -12 communicates through the pipe 17 with the same stand pipe A above the valve or to that portion of the sprinkler system to which the laterals -acontaining the .orinkler heads "b are directly connected.

The pist on chamber --9 is closed at the bottom except for a comparatively small central opening -*1.8-- in which is movable a valve l)--, the latter being rigidly connected to and depending from the piston l0- and is slightly smaller in cross sectional area than the opening -18-- in which it plays to allow slow drainage of the water from the chamber 9-- below the piston.

The piston 10- is located above the inlet 8 and is limited in its downward movement by the stop pins :20 depend ing therefrom and adapted to engage the bottom of the chamber 8 as the piston descends, sutticient clearance being left above the piston l() to permit it to withdraw the valve ---19- from the 0 ening -18 when both piston's are raise to their extreme upward limit of movement as for instance when one or more of the sprinkler heads -b of the sprinkler system is opened by fire or other cause.

Surrounding the piston chamber 9 is a shell 21- forming an intervening chamber -22- having a drainage opening 3 centrally in its bottom which is connected by a pipe 24' to the main drainage pipe -6 to permit the'water which may accumulate in the chamber -22 to be t carried off. The upper portion of the chamber 22- is connected by a pipe 24 to a suitable motor -Q5- which in turn is provided with a hammer --26 W adapted to engage and ring a bell --27 or equivalent, alarm as the motor is rotated by the water escaping through the pipe 24 to the chamber 22 in a manner hereinafter described.

The upper portion of the piston chamber 9--commurnr'ateswith atmosphere through a suitable vent --28 to prevent eompression of air or vacuum therein which might interfere with the free action of the pistons.

The check valve allows the tree uptlow of water through the conduit ---A to the several branches of the sprinkler system but prevents back How of such alter and in as much as the laterals in whichr the sprinkler heads aare attached are (lead ended," it is evident that when they are completely filled with water under pressure, th water prrssure above and, below the valve We will be equal and therefore said valve will close by its own gravity to cut otl comnmnication between the sprinkler system and piston chambers in the shell il-- thereby 'n-rmitting any water which may accumulate in said shell or in the piston chamber '9"- to readily drain off through the openings 1.8 and 23 through the pipe 24-- into the drain pipe 6 While at the same time the water in the sprinkler system will readily pass through the conduit --17- and act upon the smaller piston 12 to depress both pistons to their extreme downward limitolmoremcutin which position they will be held until the water pressure in the sprinkler system is relieved as for instance by the openii'ig of one of the sprinkler heads in case of fire. Under such conditions the water pressure above the valve will be less than the pressure below valve ---5-- causing said valve to open and allowing the water to flow through the branch passage '-3---- and cond'lit -8- and into the lower end of the piston cham ber --9-- below the piston --10-.' It is now apparent that the water pressure per square inch above the piston -12 and below the piston -10-- is the same' so that the pressure upon the upper and lower faces of the pistons is in o posite directions but owing to the fact tiat the lower piston --10 is of considerably greater area than that of the upper smaller )iston 12, the total pressure tending to lift the pistons and valve 19- will be much greater than that tending to force the pistons down thereby elevating both pistons and causing the upper piston to displace the Water from the chamber --l3 past the open valve -1.5- and through the branch -17- into the main pipe -18-. This valve 15- has a slight vertical pla upon the stem -l 6-- between two shoulr ers -29 located above and beneath said valve to allow the valve to open to a maximum degree during the intlowmg of the water through the pipe l7- to the chamber -13- in depressin the pistons, but as soon as the pistons reaci the downward limit of their movement-and particularly during t e elevation of such pistons, the valve 5- is forced under pressure of the water against the upper stop ---29- thereby partially closing the valve to reduce the opening and retarding the up ward movement of the pistons, the degree of closing of the valve being regulated'pby the adjusting screw --l6- which raises and lowers the upper stop --29-- and thereby determines the normal closing position of the valve -15.

It will be seer. from the foregoing description that the valve ---l5- is automatic in its action to allow a maximum opening or entrance for the liquid from the pipe --l7---to the piston chamber :-13-- but such opening is automatically restricted by the compression ofithe liquid upwardly during the elevation oi the pistons, it being understood that the speed of upward move ment of the pistons depends entirely upon the speed of expulsion of the water from the chamber ---17- back to the chamber -'13--- and that the smaller the valve openng around the valve, the greater will be the resistance to ex ulsion of the Water and the slower will be t e upward movement of the pistons; By the proper adjustment of this regulating valve 15-,the elevation of the pistons and consequent opening of the valve -19" may be retarded to any degree beyond the intervals at fluctuation of pressure of waterhammer in the sprinkler system so as to prevent the opening of the valve. --19- sufiioient to allow the water to flow to the motor'.-25- except" under a prolonged opening of some part of the system as'for instance the opening of one of the sprinkler heads -b in case of fire.

In the event of one or more-of the sprinkler heads b being opened by heat or other capse, the prolonged upflow of the water through the stan pipe A-- and open s rinkler heads allows the, 'water to enter t e branch -3 and iston chamber --9- thereby elevating bot pistons until the valve 19---- is withdrawn from the o ening "18* which allows the water in t e piston chamber -9 to flow through the opening --18- into the chamber 22 and thence outward through the conduit --24-- to the motor -25- tooperate the alarm -.27-. It is evident, however, that manyother forms of alarm capableof being operated by the passage of water through the conduit 24 may be used in lace of that herein shown and described an therefore, I do not limit myself to any particular form of alarm adapted to be 'operated by water pressure in the manner described;

For convonioi'nre of manufacture, the shell in which the piston chambers -9-iand -l3- and surrounding chamber -22-- are lormed is pro ferubly made of lower and upper sections divided horizontally substantially' midway betweeIT their lower and upper ends and secured to other at their meeting edges by suitable 'astening means as bolts ---30--.

The opening in the valve --5-- may be limited by any suitable means as an ad ustable stop --31- which is shown as secured into' side of the valve casing 1 What I claim is:

l. in an alarm controlling mechanism for automatic sprinkler systems, a water distributing pipe, piston chambers of unequal size communicating with. said distributing pipe, 2: check valve controllirng communication between the larger piston chamber anddisirlhuting pipe, a rctardiim; valve ronlroiling; communicati n between the Sll'llllitil' piston and dislrihunn'g' pipe, pistons movable in said chambers, the larger piston chamber having an opening in "one side, a valve movable in said opening and actuated by one of the pistons, and an alarm actuated by the water escaping from said opening when the valve is open, y

2. In an alarm controlling mechanism for automatic sprinkler s stems, a piston chamher having a water in et and a valved outlet, a valve in the outlet, a piston actuated by the water flowm into the inlet for opening said valve, an :1 arm actuated by the water flowing from the outlet -when the valve is open, and means for retarding the action of the piston in opening the valve to prevent said valve from being opened by fluctuation in pressure and only by prolonged escaping of water in the. sprinkler system.

3. In an alarm controlling mechanism for automatic sprinkler systems, a water die tributing pipe, a piston chamber communicatin with said pipe, a piston movable inlargest pistonchamber, pistons movable in said chambers, the larger chamber having a valved opening on one side, a valve movable in said opening and operated by one of the pistons, an alarm actuated by the water flowing through said 0 enmg when the valve is open and a retarding valve in the connection etween the smaller piston chamber and distributing pipe, and means for adjusting said retarding valve.

5. In combination with a water distributins; pipe of an automatic sprinkler system, a piston chamber communicating with said pipe, and having an outlet, :1 check valve controlling such conunu'nication a piston in said chamber and actuatedby t e inflowing water when the check valve is opened, an outlet valve actuated by the piston, an alarm actuated by the outlet of l-lB water when the outlet valveis opened, and adjustable means For retarding the opening of said outlet valve to nnYcnt the operation of the alarm ext-opt when some part of the sprinkler syst -n is opened.

In witness whereof l hhvc hereunto set my hard this 19th day oi May 1908.

W itncsses v (Juan-rues M. (,mlim, W. (i. 'lnlmonu. 

